The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for shaping bacon bellies and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for pressing bacon bellies and the like in a controlled manner that is varied as needed for each individual belly or the like in order to avoid both overpressing and underpressing of any particular bacon belly or other compressible item. The system functions by measuring parameters of each of a series of items, and appropriate data corresponding to these parameters are used for controlling the length of movement of movable walls of a three-dimensional press within which the bacon belly or the like is confined. The system can also accomplish flattening of cured bacon bellies so as to substantially remove curling formed therein during curing of the green bacon belly.
It is of course well known that raw or green bacon bellies are processed into sliced slabs of bacon. A much sought after attribute of drafts of sliced bacon is uniformity. From the standpoint of quality control, processing and packaging efficiency, it is desirable that a package of bacon slices be as close as possible to the specified package weight, such as one pound or the like. Often, in order to avoid the chance of selling an underweight package of bacon, the processor will add an extra slice or slice portion to a package. This represents a loss to the processor, inasmuch as commercially marketed packaged bacon products are sold according to nominal product weight or package type or size, rather than according to the precise weight of meat in each individual package.
Another aspect of sought-after uniformity for sliced bacon products is to have each individual slice be of substantially the same size and shape. It is, for example, generally undesirable to have bacon slices that vary in shape and/or size to a significant extent. At times, particularly non-uniformly shaped slices are made from portions of bacon bellies that are exceptionally uneven or generally misshapen, and these types of slices can often be included in a bacon draft that is then packaged.
It has generally been appreciated heretofore that uniformity objectives of these types can be achieved in part by subjecting the bacon belly to a pressing operation prior to its actual slicing by a bacon slicer mechanism. Generally speaking, these heretofore practiced pressing operations are useful in obtaining some degree of uniformity for at least some bacon bellies. It is often the case, however, that various individual bacon bellies are underpressed and others are overpressed by these types of pressing operations. If a bacon belly is underpressed, then its overall shape and appearance are not adequately changed, or perhaps at times the pressing is not adequate to overcome the generally elastic characteristics of a whole bacon belly. At other times, and with other bacon bellies, overpressing can occur, which typically results in the formation of undesirable wrinkles in the overpressed bacon belly. These wrinkles can cause yield losses and tears in the meat fibers, as well as result in the formation of cracked slices when the bacon belly is subsequently sliced into strips of bacon.
In order to better understand the difficulties associated with pressing a bacon belly, it must be appreciated that processed bacon bellies typically arrive at a pressing station in various sizes of thickness, width and length. With the pressing devices operating at pre-set pressing dimensions, they cannot easily accommodate the range of belly sizes normally distributed throughout production runs. Often, as many as forty percent of the bellies are damaged by overpressing, which typically results in transverse and lateral buckling. Bacon bellies entering these presses have been cured, and they exhibit an irregular topography. To a certain extent, bellies can be classified according to weight categories, but weight alone does not provide an adequate indication of the shape of an individual belly.
Some bacon bellies may be, when compared with an average bacon belly, thinner, wider or longer than may be considered to be typical, these variables depending upon the particular animal from which the belly originated. Such thin, wide and/or long bellies will buckle much more quickly than other bellies which can be characterized as being thicker, narrower and/or shorter than an average belly having a typical size and shape. In addition, a belly that is generally warm will buckle more quickly than one that is of a colder temperature. These variables, along with the speed of pressing, are all independent and each affects the pressing operation. A belly that is buckled or wrinkled or that is otherwise damaged by overpressing often has to be discarded, thereby creating yield losses.
Another aspect of bacon belly processing that can lead to non-uniformity is the fact that bacon bellies tend to curl, primarily along their longitudinal ends or edges, when the green belly is cured. This is due in large measure to the fact that a bacon belly is composed of domains of lean and domains of fat, which cure at different rates. Cured bellies tend to curl generally along their longitudinal edges, and some bellies curl much more than others. An especially curled belly can result in improper alignment within the pressing device or otherwise make handling of the especially curled bacon bellies much more difficult than ones that are relatively flat.
It has been found that, by proceeding in accordance with the present invention, the uniformity in shape, size and condition of a series of bacon bellies is enhanced. A bacon belly that has curled to any extent, including to a very large degree so as to form a substantially closed curl, is generally flattened, when desired. In an important aspect of the present invention, bacon belly uniformity of shape is enhanced by pressing, while greatly minimizing any possible damage to each individual bacon belly. At the same time, no bacon belly will be underpressed to such an extent that the belly will retain its non-uniform topography and appearance, rather than be pressed into a more desirable shape.
In summary, the present invention includes an apparatus and method that is of the so-called smart system type whereby the operating apparatus and method are tailored according to the particular dimension and condition parameters of each individual bacon belly or the like that is processed thereby. These parameters are monitored and measured for each individual bacon belly as it is conveyed along the system. Data thus collected are used to control the extent that each particular belly is pressed in accordance with its actual dimension and condition parameters. Included is a press device having movable walls and means for controlling the amount of movement thereof in a manner dictated by the size and condition parameters for each individual bacon belly or the like. In this manner, each bacon belly is pressed and reshaped in accordance with its own specific parameters. In addition, when desired, the apparatus and method also function to flatten curled bacon bellies at a location upstream of the pressing device.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for imparting uniformity to a supply of articles such as bacon bellies according to specific parameters of each individual bacon belly.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for successfully handling a stream of bacon bellies or the like, which stream includes items that are widely divergent with respect to the extent of curl exhibited by each individual item.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for pressing a conveyed supply of cured bacon bellies and the like while minimizing damage to the bacon bellies caused by overpressing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method wherein bacon bellies and the like that have a wide divergence in size and shape can be handled in a continuous stream on an automatic and automated basis.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method which perform in a so-called smart manner and without requiring operator adjustment for each individual bacon belly.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.